PinkytheGuineaPig47
Junior Guinea Pig
Hello,
I apologize if this is not the right place to post—it's been a while since I last reached out, but I’m hoping to get some guidance regarding my guinea pig's dental health and behavior.
Last week, my guinea pig broke his bottom left incisor. The tooth didn’t fall out completely—it broke very low, close to the gumline, but a small portion of the tooth remains and it has been slowly growing back.
In the first 24 hours after the break, he wasn’t eating much hay. However, over the next 2 to 6 days, he resumed eating hay consistently with no apparent difficulty. Recently, though, as the tooth continues to grow in, I’ve noticed that he is eating less hay again. He often picks up hay, drops it, and seems to take a long time—sometimes 10 to 20 minutes—to settle on a piece and start eating. While he eventually eats, the frequency and duration seem noticeably reduced. He used to eat hay for up to 6 hours a day, and now it’s closer to 3.
I understand from what I’ve read that guinea pigs may not consume as much hay when a bottom tooth is missing or damaged. I’m just unsure how normal this behavior is during the regrowth process.
One of my main questions is about the position of the new tooth. Since the broken tooth is still very small, is it normal for it to sit slightly under the tongue or feel that way? When I syringe-feed him water, I feel his tongue before I feel the tooth. I’ve also let him chew a little on my pinky (with probiotics on it), and again, I feel his tongue before the small tooth. Is that normal positioning while the tooth is regrowing?
To be clear, I did take him to an exotic vet shortly after the injury. She examined him and said everything looked normal and that the tooth was growing back as expected. I have a follow-up appointment scheduled this week for another checkup.
In terms of behavior, he seems otherwise healthy—active, sleeping well, drinking water normally, and still begging for food and treats. He does eventually eat hay and chews it properly once he gets going, but the reduced frequency and the effort it takes to begin eating are what concern me.
I may be overthinking it, but I care deeply about his well-being and want to make sure I’m not missing anything important. Thank you in advance for any insights or reassurance you can offer.
Best regards,
I apologize if this is not the right place to post—it's been a while since I last reached out, but I’m hoping to get some guidance regarding my guinea pig's dental health and behavior.
Last week, my guinea pig broke his bottom left incisor. The tooth didn’t fall out completely—it broke very low, close to the gumline, but a small portion of the tooth remains and it has been slowly growing back.
In the first 24 hours after the break, he wasn’t eating much hay. However, over the next 2 to 6 days, he resumed eating hay consistently with no apparent difficulty. Recently, though, as the tooth continues to grow in, I’ve noticed that he is eating less hay again. He often picks up hay, drops it, and seems to take a long time—sometimes 10 to 20 minutes—to settle on a piece and start eating. While he eventually eats, the frequency and duration seem noticeably reduced. He used to eat hay for up to 6 hours a day, and now it’s closer to 3.
I understand from what I’ve read that guinea pigs may not consume as much hay when a bottom tooth is missing or damaged. I’m just unsure how normal this behavior is during the regrowth process.
One of my main questions is about the position of the new tooth. Since the broken tooth is still very small, is it normal for it to sit slightly under the tongue or feel that way? When I syringe-feed him water, I feel his tongue before I feel the tooth. I’ve also let him chew a little on my pinky (with probiotics on it), and again, I feel his tongue before the small tooth. Is that normal positioning while the tooth is regrowing?
To be clear, I did take him to an exotic vet shortly after the injury. She examined him and said everything looked normal and that the tooth was growing back as expected. I have a follow-up appointment scheduled this week for another checkup.
In terms of behavior, he seems otherwise healthy—active, sleeping well, drinking water normally, and still begging for food and treats. He does eventually eat hay and chews it properly once he gets going, but the reduced frequency and the effort it takes to begin eating are what concern me.
I may be overthinking it, but I care deeply about his well-being and want to make sure I’m not missing anything important. Thank you in advance for any insights or reassurance you can offer.
Best regards,
